Saturday, January 30, 2016

I was thinking, the other day, about who I would cast as Emily Kane if anyone ever decided to make the movie. My current choice would be Haruka Ayase -- you can see her in Ichi -- a mediocre remake of the blind-swordsman movie, Zatoichi [follow the linked titles to find out more about them]. By the way, even if it's not much of a remake, she's great in it.

Another candidate would have been Jun Ji-hyun, from around the time she made Blood: The Last Vampire. This is a really bad movie -- maybe wonderfully bad, if that makes any sense -- but it showcases why she might fit the part pretty well. She's probably too old for the part now, but check it out and see if you get the general idea.
Then it occurred to me that in order to catch the attention of any big-time Hollywood producers, the books in the series will need to have a lot more reviews. So, I'm making a blanket request -- if you've enjoyed the books in the series so far, and haven't had time to leave a review yet -- it would really help us get attention in the quarters where it matters if you reviewed them now.
Here's my new motto: Let's get Emily on the big-screen; leave a review now!
Here's a few links to Book One, but please feel free to leave one on any book in the series, as you see fit: Amazon, Apple, B&N, Kobo .
Oh, and if you have your own idea of who you'd like to see play Emily in the movie (or Connie, or Ethan, or Perry...), post your suggestions.
Best wishes to all of you!
... and let's get that movie made!!!

Thursday, January 7, 2016

A few people have mentioned to me that the Emily Kane series
has become much darker, and even depressing in Book 6 – especially Timothy
Richley, who has sent me some insightful emails on this subject. He suggests
that the darkness seems to have entered Emily’s heart right around the time she
went to Nepal, and ever since she has been overwhelmed by remorse for all the
dead bodies she leaves in her wake, and is even preoccupied by fantasies of her
own death.

I think Timothy’s right about this, and I’ve also been
feeling a need to turn Emily’s thoughts onto sunnier paths. [A side-note: I’m
not entirely in control of this. Emily herself often dictates events as much as
I do. If this makes no sense to you, try writing a book; then you’ll see.] In
Book 7, I plan on accomplishing exactly this, first by turning the focus back to
her little “family” and a reunion of Li Li with her uncle Jiang, but also by giving
Hsu Qi’s positive influence a chance to have a greater impact on Emily. In
particular, I’d like to have her help Emily find some reassurance from her
ghosts.

I think Emily’s development follows an inevitable trajectory, if you consider a
couple of recurring motifs in the series. I originally imagined Emily as a
remorseful heroine, and wanted to trace the impact of her remorse (and not just
her fists) on the people she encounters. Of course, she is saddened by the
violence she can’t avoid perpetrating, but she also has an impact on the
villains who confront her. In one way or another, she becomes the agent of
their redemption. Connie is the most obvious of these, but also Li Li’s father,
Tang, from Book 1. The West Virginia bikers are another case, and maybe even
Colonel Park, from Book 2. Shinjo is a variant of this from Book 3. Kathy
Gunderson plays this role in Book 5, and in Book 6, Lt. Yan and Tsukino, and to
a lesser extent Gyoshin Heiji, function in this way.

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About Me

I'm a writer: that explains all the aimless griping. I'm also a teacher, as well as a parent. That should account for all the ranting about education. I fancy myself an amateur philosopher, which really just means that my gripes and rants are pretentious and hard to read. I spent a fair amount of time practicing martial arts when I was younger, and my daughter is a total ninja, so we take that sort of thing seriously in my house. Kicking bag is right at home among the living room furniture. Lots of practice weapons all over the house.